Vol. VIII. No. 19: 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



27i) 



Caravoiiica is a tree cotton, and was produced by the 

 crossing of a fine, long-stapled ;Mexicari cotton with a coarse, 

 long-stapled Peruvian cotton. This hybridization wa.s 

 carried out in Queensland some ten years ago by an Italian 

 -scientist — Dr. David Thomatis-and since then, seed from 

 the resulting plants has been tried in all parts of the world. 

 It is now being experimented with in Mexico, India, Egypt, 

 "French New Caledonia, and the Congo. Experiments in 

 upper Mexico and the United States have proved failure.?, 

 but in lower Mexico the plant grows well. It has been 

 demonstrated that the plant will grow only in a hot climate 

 with not too much rainfall. The seeds were introduced into 

 Mexico in .June 1906, by Dr. Pehr Olssen-Seffer, who 

 ■planted them at La Zacualpa Botanical Station on the 

 Pacific Coast, and who, finding that climate suitable, has 

 -since planted 7-5 hectares (18.5 acres) and expects largely to 

 increase this area later. 



This tree cotton has been found to be very healthy and 

 highly resistant to pests of all kinds. 



GARDEN NOTES. 



THE SILK COTTON TREE IN JAVA. 



The Silk Cotton Tree {Eriodendron anfrartiiosiim) is 

 cultivated in Java for the sake of the ' silk cotton ', well 

 known in the West Indies and used for stuffing cushions, 

 pillows, etc. In Java, however, this ' kapok ', as it is called, 

 is grown and exported on a commercial scale, many hundreds 

 of bales being sent to Europe for the use of upholsterers. 

 The best situation for the plant is found to be on sandy soil 

 at a fair elevation near the .sea. The plant is propagated 

 both from cuttings and seeds, but those raised from the 

 iormer are not as vigorous and take longer to bear than 

 those from seed. The .seeds are sown during the rainy 

 season, in rows about 12 inches apart, and when the young 

 seedlings appear, they are exposed to the sun as much as 

 possible and are kept well watered, after having been 

 thinned out until they are 1 foot apart. After eight months' 

 growth in the nursery, they are set out at the rate of about 

 140 to the acre, that is if no other crops are to be grown on 

 ihe land. In transplanting, the leaves are stripped oft' and 

 the plant is severely cut back. The yield of silk cotton 

 commences in two or three years and is at its best in the 

 fifth ; it amounts to about 4-50 lb, of the clean product per 

 annum from each acre, when the trees are planted in the way 

 described above. The fibre should not be allowed to get wet 

 before it is gathered, as water damages it. The seeds are 

 separated by beating with sticks, or by means of a primitive 

 form of gin in which they are removed by coming into 

 contact with rows of pegs on a revolving cylinder. The silk 

 cotton is exported in 80 lb. bales which must not be pre.s.sed 

 too tightly, or the fibre loses much of its value. The seeds 

 are utilized for the production of oil, and the residue from 

 them is a useful nitrogenous manure. 



Uses for the Plantain. Plantain meal is prepared 

 by the natives of Central Africa for storing and sale. They 

 simply slice the fruit, dry it in the sun and grind or pound 

 it to powder. In Mexico, according to Colonel Colquhoun, 

 the fruits are expo.sed to the sun, and when they begin to 

 wrinkle they are peeled. If the skin is not removed, a bad 

 taste is imparted to the fruit. They are kept for some time 

 until an efflorescence of sugar appears on their surface, and 

 ■are then pressed in masses of about l-'o If), each, and placed in 

 boxes, or wrapped in dry banana leaves. (Ehodesiaii. A<jfi- 

 adtural Journal, June 1909.) 



THE CULTIVATION OF FERNS. 



The following hints on this subject appear in the 

 Agrieidtii.ral Bulletin of the Federated Malay 

 States : — 



The nature of a fern generally suggests whether it should 

 be grown in a pot, on a tree stem, or in a basket. Those 

 kinds with creeping rhizomes do best in basket.s, as a rule, 

 whilst those which form crowns and fibrous roots are most 

 suitable for pot culture. One of the most effective ways 

 of growing many ferns is on tlie stems of trees, palms, etc. 



Although it frequently happens that the conditions 

 under which plants grow spontaneously cannot be artificially 

 produced, the knowledge of the positions in which they grow 

 naturally aids materially in their successful cultivation. It 

 may be safely stated that the majority of ferns require shade 

 and moisture, ilost gardens possess one or more spots of 

 this nature, under trees generally, and in those situations 

 ferns luxuriate if reasonable care be taken in their cultivation. 



Ferns grown in pots require fresh potting more or less 

 frequently according to their rate of growth ; but it is advis- 

 able to avoid over potting. Those plants generally grow 

 best whose roots are in contact with the inside of the pots. 

 Care must be given to watering, as ferns resent over watering 

 as quickly as any other plant if the soil is in any way water- 

 logged or sour ; on the other hand, care must also be taken 

 that the roots do not become toi:i dry. In the tropics, ferns 

 may be repotted almost at any time without ill results. 

 Pots should be clean and dry when used, and new pots 

 should be thoroughly soaked in water and then dried 

 before using. The question of drainage is an important 

 one, especially where the rainfall is so heavy. When 

 potting ferns, it should be borne in mind that the major- 

 ity of them grow na:urally in partly decayed vegetable 

 matter, usually of a soft nature ; they should therefore 

 be made firm in their pots, but on no account potted hard. 

 A conqiost of an open sandy nature through v.'hich the 

 water will pass readily should be used ; a mixture iif two 

 parts of sandy loam with one part of leaf mould, one 

 part of fibrous material, and one part of coarse sand will be 

 found to suit most ferns. 



Basket ferns should be planted in fibrous material mixed 

 with lumps of peat and pieces of sandstone and charcoal. 

 These composts may be given as possessing all the qualities 

 required by the majority of ferns usually cultivated in gar- 

 dens. Many of the more delicate ferns, such as some Adian- 

 tums, resent too much water over head. A position under 

 a shady verandah suits these best. It is only by experience 

 and constant observation that the best position can be found 

 for the more fastidious ferns. Very often a move of only 

 a few yards makes all the diti'erence between a good and 

 a bad specimen. Windy positions .should be avoided and 

 care taken that no manure enters into the potting compost. 

 An occasional application of liipiid or artificial manure is 

 beneficial when growth and root action are vigorous, but 

 heavy manuring of maidenhairs should be avoided. 



Pans of broken brick and coral rock are very suitable 

 for raising fern spores. The pans should be kept damp, 

 and if moss or the minute algae which appear on damp 

 spots are growing on the rock, so much the better. The 

 fruiting fronds should be taken before the spores are blown 

 away, about the time that the soribecoiL-e brown, and shaken 

 or left lying on the pan, which is then covered with a glas.'* 

 plate. 



